Top Sri Lankan players were today withdrawn from the Chennai matches of the high-profile IPL. This follows Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa's refusal to host them in view of the prevailing anti-Sinhalese sentiments in the state.Jayalalithaa wrote a letter to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh making it clear that IPL matches would be permitted in the state only if there were no Sri Lankan players, umpires, officials or support staff in these matches. The IPL tournament begins on the 3rd of April and will conclude on May 26. The IPL Governing Council met to discuss the issue and decided that Sri Lankan players will not participate in IPL League matches in Chennai. The Governing Council will advise the nine IPL franchises accordingly, putting an end to the intense speculation regarding the fate of the Sri Lankan players. Altogether 13 Sri Lankan players, two of whom are captains of their respective teams, are taking part in the sixth edition of the league.